


The Real One

by amethystdragonnight



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Multi, shallura - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-22
Updated: 2018-06-21
Packaged: 2019-04-26 11:09:02
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 7,385
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14400900
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/amethystdragonnight/pseuds/amethystdragonnight
Summary: Allura knows her goal, her enemies, and her allies. But she finds out she's mistaken when Lance tells her the Shiro she's known for the past few weeks has been a clone, and made by the Galra no less. Suddenly she and the paladins are on a mission to get the real Shiro back, but doing so might be harder than she thought, and will bring up some feelings that have been brewing since she first met the black paladin.





	1. When She Found Out

The news hit Allura like a punch to the gut. Suddenly she couldn’t breathe, and it was all she could do to slam her hands against the wall of her room. Her vision went blurry. Somewhere in the back of her mind she knew she was ignoring Lance, but all she could think of was Shiro. What Lance had just said to her. Shiro was a clone. A clone made by the Galra, no less.

Lance was looking at her, waiting for her response. After all, they had to do something. If Shiro…the real Shiro, wasn’t here, she was next in line for leadership.

“We’ll…we’ll find him,” she said in a weak voice, more for herself than for Lance. He took a step forward and put a hand on her shoulder.

“I’m really sorry.” His voice was soft and comforting, and she took a deep breath. Though her world had just crumbled around her, again, she had to be strong. For the paladins. For the Coalition. “It was a shock to me too.”

“I’m amazed you found out,” she said. “He has all of us fooled.”

“You know that’s the sad part. I think he even fooled himself.” Lance wiped his eyes and turned away. “But like you said!” He continued, voice overly cheerful. “We’re gonna find him. I actually told Pidge about this before you, and she’s working on finding him.”

“Guys?” Pidge’s voice came over the comms unit. “You might want to see this. I found something on…well, you know. Shiro, you don’t need to come, but everyone else, meet me on the bridge, okay?”

Allura raised an eyebrow in Lance’s direction.

“You haven’t told him. The clone?”

Lance sighed and said,

“No. I mean, that’s gonna be rough, don’t you think? He really believes he’s Shiro. What do you think he’s gonna say when we tell him he’s not real?”

Allura sucked in a breath.

“You’re right, Lance. Now let’s go see what Pidge has for us.” Allura smiles at Lance, and he returned the expression, but both their expressions soon crumbled. “This is not going to be easy. But Lance…” She paused. “We have to be strong until we get the real Shiro back.”

Lance’s eyes widened a fraction, and Allura wrapped him in an embrace.

“Yeah,” he said. “You’re right.”

Allura smiled into Lance’s shoulder, then separated.

“Now let’s go see Pidge.”

As Lance exited the room, Allura felt her heart tighten. Shiro….Where was he? Would she ever see him again? She followed Lance, and hoped to Altea she would. She had to see him again.

 

 

\---

 

 

“Hey, you guys.” Pidge waved as Hunk, Coran, Lance and Allura entered the bridge, gathering them around her chair. She pulled up a holographic list and pointed to it. “I’ve been gathering lists of Galra prisoners, but couldn’t find Shiro. So then I figured I’d look up Galra experiments. And this popped up.” Pidge clicked on a name, and a profile came up. The name, Project Kuron, was interesting enough, but what shocked Allura was the picture. It was Shiro, her Shiro, lying on a table and staring at the ceiling as Galra scientists did…who knows what to him. She shivered but blinked at the thought. Her Shiro. Surprising, but fitting. But what did it mean?

“Allura?” Pidge’s voice invaded the princess’s head, and Allura smiled an apology.

“Sorry, Pidge. Go on?”

“So of course this was all crazy encrypted, so first I had to-“ Pidge began, but Lance cut her off.

“Maybe skip the techno-babble and skip to the part we can all understand?” He said. Pidge gave him a flat look, but sighed.

“Anyway, I’ve found this.” She swiped her hand and a map pulled up, a circle centering on an empty piece of space. “Now before you say there’s nothing there…” Pidge ran her hand over the holoscreen and a small dot appeared. “It was hidden. I looked into it and got the schematics, and there’s labs on board. And this one has a camera feed. Just…look at this.” An image appeared, and Allura gasped as she saw Shiro lying on a table once again, eyes closed now. Her heart skipped a beat.

Her brow formed a v as she frowned. Today was an odd day for her.

“That’s him,” she said. “Really him.”

“Yeah. So…this might be a good time to say it’s going to be dangerous if we go and get him. I mean, we don’t know who might be there. I think Haggar might be involved,” Pidge said. Hunk nodded, and took a breath before saying,

“You’re right, but…I think we should do it.”

“Really?” Everyone exclaimed at the same time.

“You’re not usually one to jump into danger, as they say, Hunk.” Coran added.

“I know, but…” Hunk put a hand to the back of his head. “This just feels important. Remember when Shiro said we had to rescue Allura?”

Everyone murmured assents except the princess. Allura found herself asking, in an unusually excited voice,

“Really?”

“Yeah,” Lance said. “You weren’t there, obviously, but Shiro came back and he was just…really worried. He said stuff about even though it was dangerous, it was worth it for you.”

Allura’s heart jumped out of her chest, and she felt her face heat. Oh dear. This could be…problematic.

“I see.” She squeaked. Fortunately, everyone else had continued the conversation without noticing her blushing face. What was this? She’d have to think about it.

“So we go in, I think,” Pidge was saying. “Allura?”

“Of course.” She nodded. “What are the coordinates again?”

Pidge pulled them up and Allura memorized them quickly before walking to the teledove and opening the floor so the pillars could rest underneath her hands. “We’re coming, Shiro.” She whispered underneath her breath as she began to power the castle. “I’m coming to save you.”


	2. An Important Talk

As the wormhole opened up and they began to travel through, Allura found herself getting jittery. She was going to see Shiro again. The real Shiro. And to think, she’d been tearing herself up inside because of all the arguments she’d been having with the clone. Her heart had been ripping apart at the seams, and for what? She knew, consciously, that the clone was still sort of Shiro, but it wasn’t the same. Now it made sense, why she’d felt something off with Shiro ever since Keith had recovered him. The old Shiro had been kind, bold, and a born leader. He’d made her feel safe, but at the same time had let her protect herself like he knew she could. There was something endearing about that. 

Allura’s gut was in knots, and it wasn’t the tense feeling of coming to a battle. This was different. Was she this nervous because she was seeing Shiro again? Was that why her heart was beating out of her chest? She knew she felt something for Shiro, but was it...more than friendship? She gulped. There was definitely something unusual about how nervous she was. She’d have to speak to someone about this. But before that...

“Here we are,” she said, taking her hands off the teledove as the castle came to a stop. The darkness of space stretched before them all, and in the middle of it was a large Galra cruiser, or what looked like one. It was unusually long, and big. It had an ominous cast to it that spread shivers up Allura’s back. “Shiro’s in there.” 

“Yep.” Lance agreed. “We’re finally here.” 

“Here where?” A voice came from the entrance to the bridge, and Allura almost screamed as Shiro...or, clone Shiro, stepped up beside her. As he looked at her, she found herself wanting to get lost in his eyes. She had to remind herself this wasn’t the real Shiro. She was going to get him.

“Pidge!” She heard Lance hiss behind them. “You said he wasn’t gonna come up here!” 

“What’s going on?” The clone asked in a stern voice that Allura had to remind herself wasn’t Shiro’s. “What are you all doing?” 

“Shiro...” Allura made herself speak up. Someone had to tell him. “Why don’t you come with me for a moment?” She took his hand and led him from the bridge, trying to ignore the incredulous looks of the paladins and Coran. Allura took Shiro far enough down the hall that no one would overhear them. With a deep breath, she began to speak. “Shiro...this is so hard for me to say. But we’ve recently heard about something called Project Kuron.” 

Shiro’s...the clone’s, eyes widened. 

“I’ve heard about that,” he said. “When I woke up, I heard someone say that. Do you...know what it means?” 

Allura nodded. 

“It was a program that...made a clone of you.” 

“What? There’s a clone of me?” He asked, face paling. “Where is it?” 

“See...that’s the thing, Shiro. The real Shiro is on that ship. You are...” 

Seeing what happened next nearly broke Allura’s heart. He leaned against the wall, tears gathering in his eyes as his hands ran through his hair. It was like watching a man’s world fall apart before his eyes. Allura had to turn away so she wouldn’t begin to cry herself. 

“I’m the clone.” He whispered. “I’m not real. I’m a fake.” 

“No!” Allura found herself saying. “Shiro, that’s not true. You are real, as much as the Shiro we knew.” 

“You don’t have to call me that anymore. That’s not what I am,” the clone said with a grim smile. “You know the strangest thing? It all makes sense now, what I saw. When I woke up, I saw myself. On a table, looking like he was in a trance or something. That must have been the real Shiro.” The clone pressed his hands to his face and began shaking. At first Allura thought he was laughing. It took her a moment to realize he was crying. Allura had to take a breath to steel herself. Shiro, the real one, had never fallen apart in front of her like this. She swallowed thickly and put her hands on his shoulders and brought him in for an embrace, rubbing his back. Why was she doing this? This was a clone. The answer came quicker than she would have thought. 

She loved him. No matter what, she loved Shiro. 

“What?” The clone asked, separating from her. Allura froze when she realized she had spoken aloud.

“It’s true,” she said, tears running down her face. “For a long time, I’ve loved Shiro...you. I couldn’t hide that. Not now.” 

He put his hands to her cheeks before she could say another word. His white lock of hair brushed her forehead as he pressed his forehead to hers. Allura’s breath hitched. Was he going to...? He pulled her closer, bringing his lips closer to hers. Her head was spinning. What was she going to do now? She couldn’t help herself as she closed her eyes...

And he pushed her away. 

“No,” he said, wiping his eyes. Allura stood still, looking at him in shock. “That honor belongs to the real one.” 

Allura put a hand to the clone’s cheek, and he winced. 

“All right. If you say so.” She leaned in and pressed a kiss to his cheek before she could stop herself. “I’m going back to the bridge.” 

“Of course,” the clone said, suddenly all business. To Allura’s surprise however, he said, “I want to help.” 

“What?” 

“You’re going to get him back, aren’t you?” 

“Yes!” She said, hugging herself. “But...are you sure? This won’t be easy for you...for any of us.” 

Shiro’s clone rubbed his temple. 

“I know, Princess. But just let me do this? I need to have this. Please?” 

Allura closed her eyes for a moment, sighed, and said, 

“All right.” 

 

To say that the other paladins and Coran were shocked that clone Shiro wanted to help them was an understatement for the ages. Pidge and Lance couldn’t stop shouting, while Hunk and Coran just stood still, identical looks of shock on their faces. Allura couldn’t help but smile nervously at the insanity of it all. But still, they had a job to do. 

“Pidge, are we cloaked?” She asked, turning to the girl. Pidge turned and answered, 

“Yeah, I activated it as soon as we arrived.” 

Allura was indebted to the green paladin, she knew, for inputting the cloaking ability into the castle itself as she had done recently. Now they could travel wherever they wanted, undetected. It was wonderful. 

The princess turned to the Galra ship and said, 

“All right. Let’s come up with a plan.” She instinctively looked at Shiro, but found his, and everyone else’s, attentions fixed on her. Of course, she reminded herself, in an emergency like this she had to be the one to lead. “Okay,” she said, taking a breath to calm herself. “Lance and Hunk, I want you two to sneak on board. Create a distraction. Pidge and I...and Shiro,” she added, with a glance at the clone, “...we’ll get Shiro. Coran, you stay aboard. Be ready to cover us if we need it.” 

Everyone nodded, and Allura smiled. 

“Great plan, princess,” Shiro’s clone said from next to her. Her chest seized at the familiar glimmer in his eyes that, even though she consciously knew wasn’t real, still made her heart race. 

“Then lets go save Shiro.” Allura turned to the rest of the team, and they nodded. This was going to work, she told herself. It had to.


	3. Journey Through A Ship

A short while later Allura and Pidge were aboard the Galra ship, sitting and waiting for Lance and Hunk’s distraction. They were tucked into a side hallway, just a short walk away from their exit, a small hole in the side of the ship Pidge had made with her bayard. Their lions were waiting outside, perched on the side of the ship. 

“What’s taking so long?” Pidge muttered. Allura gave her a smile and said, 

“I’m sure they’re all right.” Still, she couldn’t help but bite her lip, as her foot tapped the floor. She was so close to Shiro, the real one. These past few vargas, ever since she’s heard the news from Lance, had been a horrible mix of chaos and fear. What was she going to do once she saw him again? If she even did? No, she would not allow herself to go down that path again. She’d already had that thought a few dobashes ago, and she wasn’t about to think that way again. It filled her with a dark despair that, since her father had passed, she hoped she’d never feel again. But she was strong. She could do this. 

“Princess?” Pidge asked from a little ways away, and Allura turned to face her. 

“Please, Pidge, call me Allura.” 

Pidge nodded and said, 

“Are you okay, Allura?” 

The princess sucked in a breath. 

“Is it that obvious?” 

Pidge grinned and said, 

“Kind of, yeah. I didn’t know you were so into him until today.” 

Allura fought the urge to cover her face with her hands. 

“I’m sorry, Pidge, I know this must be terribly awkward-“ 

“No!” Pidge said quickly, and Allura blinked. “I mean, it’s ok! Really. It’s fine.” 

“You’re not angry with me?” 

“Of course not.” Pidge sat down, and Allura soon joined her on the floor. “I think it’s great. That you like him, I mean. I’ve seen how happy he makes you, and that’s pretty cool.” Pidge took a moment to adjust her glasses. “Sorry, I know I’m not much good with people. It’s just what I’ve noticed.” 

Allura’s smile softened. She carefully put an arm around Pidge’s shoulders, and although the green paladin stiffened at first, she soon relaxed. 

“Thank you Pidge. That means a great deal. You know...” Allura sighed. “When we first met, I must say we got off on the wrong foot. I suppose I felt pressured to be close to you, to have a friend who was a girl. I’m sorry for that.” 

“Don’t worry about it,” Pidge said. “I just hope we can get him back.” She turned her head away, letting out a long breath. “Shiro’s been really good to me, and he’s helped me find my brother and dad. I feel like I owe this to him. To find him. You know?” 

Allura looked down at Pidge and nodded. 

“Of course.” 

Tap. Tap. Tap. The approaching footsteps shocked the two out of their conversation, and Allura slammed herself and Pidge against the wall so that the guards wouldn’t see them. Allura held her breath as they went past. Suddenly a memory flooded her mind. She and Shiro, so long ago, aboard a Galra ship. He’d tapped his finger against the wall as the guards went past in time with their footsteps, timing how long it took for them to pass. Allura closed her eyes, letting her breath and the Galra’s footsteps be the only sounds. Focus, she told herself. Silently, she tapped her finger against the wall. One. Two. Three. 

Tap. Tap. Tap. 

She waited as they passed, and as soon as they were gone, she grabbed Pidge and ran down the hall until they reached another alcove. 

“All right Pidge,” she said, voice a whisper. “Where’s the labs?” 

Pidge pulled up a small holoscreen and bit her lip. 

“We’re not too far, but there’ll be a lot of guards, so —“ 

“Don’t worry about them.” Allura smirked. “Leave that to me. Shiro taught me a little trick, even if he didn’t know it.” 

Pidge raised her eyebrows, but nodded. The green paladin pointed straight down the hallway, and Allura guided them the rest of the way. As soon as they reached the end, Pidge began the right turn, but Allura held her back, tapping her finger against the wall again as more guards passed. The motion made her chest feel warm, and she couldn’t help the smile that grew on her face. Here was a little piece of Shiro she’d kept with her, even after all this time. After the sentries went on, Allura and Pidge scrambled down the hall. For several dobashes they repeated this. Wait, tap, go. Wait, tap, go. All the while, Allura’s stomach was tying in more and more knots. This was too easy. What was she not seeing? And where was the distraction? 

An explosion. Shots firing. 

The muted sounds of a battle blew through the ship, and Allura grinned at Pidge. 

“There.” Pidge whispered, and Allura nodded. Finally, the guards disappeared to wherever Hunk and Lance were causing their distraction. Allura and Pidge ran until they were almost out of breath, until finally, Pidge tapped on Allura’s shoulder. Allura stopped, looking down at her companion. She raised an eyebrow. “We’re in the labs,” Pidge said. “And according to the map…” She didn’t have to finish her sentence as she pointed toward a door. A shiver went down Allura’s spine. Pidge went up to the door, opening the lock to hack it. The action seemed to take forever, even though Allura consciously knew it wasn’t very long. Every sense seemed heightened then. Her breath was echoing in her ears, and she could taste the metal of the ship on her tongue.

“Come on…” She whispered. 

“Done!” Pidge grinned, at the same moment that guards appeared at the end of the hallway, led by three looming druids.


	4. Finding the Real One

Allura didn’t even have time to shout ‘quiznak’ before the first druid lifted its hand, a black orb of energy growing in its fingers. She sucked in a breath, her bayard appearing in her hand. She lifted the whip to throw it, but the second and third druids threw simultaneous balls of purple lightning at her. She dodged both, slamming against the wall right next to the door. 

“Pidge!” She panted. “I need help.” 

“On it!” Pidge said. “I’ll take care of the druids.” Pidge appeared by her side, holding up her green bayard with a grin. “You get Shiro.” Allura nodded and ducked in the room. As much as she’d love to stay and help the green paladin, she knew when to follow instructions, and now was one of those times. Besides, it would be more efficient this way. She turned, ready to wake Shiro. Her bayard fell to the floor, disappearing in a flash of blue, when she saw him. 

He lay face-up on the table, exactly as the cameras had shown. Somehow though, this just felt more real. His eyes stared blankly, his lips parted in a neutral expression. His hair was long now, reaching to his shoulders. Allura sucked in a breath, rushing to his side. Blasts came from outside, and she looked for a moment to see Pidge retreating as the druids attacked. Allura winced, but turned back to Shiro, her blood pumping in her ears. 

“Come on, Shiro!” She said, placing a hand on his shoulder and shaking him. “You need to wake up!” Her gaze was then drawn by some thick tubes hooked up to his prosthetic arm. Without a thought she yanked them out. That had to do the trick, right?. 

Nothing. 

She bit her lip. Something else, she had to do something else…. Allura lifted a hand and smacked him across the face. He didn’t move. “Quiznak.” She muttered, her hands balling into fists. Shaking her head, she turned to the hall and shouted, “Pidge! I can’t wake him up!” 

“Think of something!” Came the response, accompanied by a grunt. “These druids aren’t going to fight themselves, and I could use a little help!” 

“Are you sure?” 

“I don’t know!” 

“All right, fine! I’ll try.” Allura turned back to the room, glancing at every machine, trying to find one that might work. There was one with a sharp needle that made her shiver, and another with prongs, but nothing that looked even remotely helpful. 

A sudden fear tugged at her, and she rushed back over to Shiro. Allura placed her ear over where she thought his heart was, closed her eyes, and listened. Please be alive, please be alive. 

She couldn’t hear a sound. 

It was like hearing he was a clone all over again. Her soul felt like it was collapsing in on itself. Like she was dying. Her eyes began to burn with unshed tears. This couldn’t be right. She had to be doing it wrong. Holding back a sob, she laid her head on his chest once more. “I’m sorry, Shiro.” She whispered against his tattered shirt. “I’m so sorry.” 

“Allura!” Pidge shouted from the hallway. “I could use a little help!” 

Allura wiped her eyes and sniffled. She had to keep it together. All she had to do was break the news….She nearly collapsed in tears again at the thought of having to tell someone about Shiro. 

She already had so many memories with him. When she first met him, and he had so much concern for her, though they didn’t know each other. When they infiltrated a Galra base together, and he came back to rescue her after her capture. Even back then, even when he didn’t know her as well, Shiro still believed in her ability to get things done. To fight. And then weeks later, he held her hand on the bridge. Sometimes she imagined the feel of his skin against hers, holding her and keeping her grounded. Her heart tugged at her chest as she relived the memories. But now was the time to help Pidge. 

Allura summoned her bayard again as she rushed out into the hallway and surveyed the scene. Pidge had knocked out one of the druids, who lay slumped against the wall, a nasty wound in its side. The other two were still fighting, and Allura recognized the lead druid who had attacked her earlier, and its second companion. She growled through her tears and threw her whip. For Shiro. 

“So?” Pidge said, trying to wrap her bayard around the second druid. “What’s his condition?” 

“Not good, Pidge. He’s…he’s not waking up. I couldn’t hear a heartbeat.” 

The sounds of battle were the only noises for several moments. Pidge’s grunts sounded oddly like sobs. “I’m so sorry,” Allura said. “I did everything I could. I put my head against his side and everything.” With a cry, she wrapped her whip around the leader druid’s arm and tugged them closer, slamming them against the ground. This fight had to finish soon so they could get back to the others and…give them the news. 

“Wait,” Pidge said. “His side?” 

“Yes?” 

“Don’t you mean his chest?” 

“What?” Allura turned to look at the green paladin, giving the druid time to get out of her whip and charge a ball of energy. Allura grimaced and jumped out of the way of the blast just in time. “What do you mean?” 

“Human hearts are on the chest, Allura! The left side of the chest!” 

“What?” Allura looked back to the room, with Shiro still on the table. “All right, I’m going back in! Stay here and hold them off.” 

“All right.” 

Allura ducked back into the room, looking down at Shiro. 

“Ok, left side of the chest…” She mumbled. She put a hand on his shoulder and lowered her head to the spot Pidge had indicated. This had to work, this just…had to work. She closed her eyes and listened. At first, she didn’t hear anything. Then, she heard a low noise. 

Thump-thump. A pause. Thump-thump. 

A heartbeat! Slow, but it was there. Allura put a hand over her mouth to stifle a shout of joy. “Thank goodness, Shiro,” she said to him, rubbing his hair with a hand. “You’ll be all right, you’ll see.” 

But now, she had another problem. He might be alive, but she still had to wake him up. There had to be something she could do. She looked around the room, from device to device, searching for one that might do the trick. It was all the same as before. Allura bit her lip and hissed, “Quiznak.” Her blood thrummed through her veins, making her pulse a drum beat in her ears. Pidge was still fighting outside, and she couldn’t help because she was just standing here, useless. She had to think. There had to be something—

Her gaze caught on a small flash of light in the corner. She threw devices aside to find a small , rectangular object about the size of her hand, with a handle the length of her forearm. The tip sparked and zapped with purple lightning. The Galra might have used this to wake him up when they needed to. But would the electricity be too much for him? She might kill him. Allura turned back to Shiro, still on the table. She didn’t have time to think. This just had to work. She touched the device against his chest. 

The zap filled the room, throwing her against the wall. She cried out. Her ears buzzed, and her head was pounding. Quiznak, that hurt. The room took a moment to reform around her as her vision cleared. She stayed still for a moment, but shook her head and looked back to Shiro. He still lay on the table. In an instant she was at his side again. This had to have worked. 

Slowly, Shiro opened his eyes. He groaned, wincing at the bright light, but his eyes were open. He looked at her with recognition. 

“Princess?” 

Allura knew she would never experience joy like she did at that moment. A smile spread over her face so wide it hurt, and without thought of consequences and blind to the moment she grabbed both sides of his face and kissed him on the mouth. 

Her lips moved over his for a moment before she separated, looking at him and feeling pure happiness. Shiro, her Shiro! He smiled lopsidedly. “Not the worst way to wake up,” he said, voice gravelly from disuse. “What are you doing here? Wha…how long has it been?” 

“Almost a phoeb,” she said, looking down. “It’s been…impossible at times. Keith was all right as the black paladin, but then you…well, almost you, stepped in, and we’ve been following him ever since. He’s been rather difficult to work with. But the rest of us paladins have been coping well enough.” 

Shiro gave her a confused but happy look. 

“Keith as black? Someone who’s almost me? You’re a paladin? You’ve got a lot to catch me up on, Princess.” 

Allura laughed with pure joy, leaning her forehead against his. 

“Come on, Shiro.” She took his hand and gripped it tight. “Let’s get you up and out of here. And how many times do I need to tell you to call me Allura?” 

Shiro shook his head and chuckled. 

“All right, let’s go…Allura.”


	5. The Black Paladin

The next dobashes passed in a blur of battle, as Allura and Shiro burst out of the lab room, finishing off the remaining druids. Pidge and Shiro shared a hug before the three were running down the hall, back towards the entrance Allura and Pidge had made. They could get out. They had to. 

At first everything was fine. The distraction Lance and Hunk had caused seemed to have worked well. Too well. The silence unnerved her, but she said nothing. And what part did Shiro’s clone have to play in all this? Surely he was going to help, as he’d said he would. 

It happened as they passed what they thought was an empty room. A hand shot out and grabbed Allura by the neck. She choked, and through barely open eyes saw Haggar, lifting her above the ground. Allura cursed mentally. She should’ve known this was all her doing. 

Pidge watched her with wide eyes. Shiro shouted out for her. But Allura knew as well as they did that they had little chance against someone so powerful. 

“I knew you’d come eventually, princess,” the witch said. “It was only a matter of time.” 

“What do you want with me?” Allura croaked. 

“You have Lotor,” Haggar said. Her voice thickened with emotion, and Allura’s brows knit in confusion. “You have my son.” 

The hall silenced. 

“You are Honerva,” Allura said, though her breaths were short and erratic. “I knew it.” 

“Give me my son!” She shouted, tightening her grip on the princesses throat. Allura gasped. Through her blurred vision, she saw Shiro’s face pale. 

She gritted her teeth and grabbed Haggar’s wrist, and rammed her nails into the skin as hard as she could. The witch dropped her, and she tripped several paces backwards, gasping. 

“Allura,” Shiro said, putting a hand on her arm. “You’re ok?” 

She gave him a nod, and her heart warmed at the look of relief on his face. “Okay, guys. Ready?” He looked from her to Pidge. His hand began to glow, they all shared a look, and they moved. 

Pidge and Shiro came at her from either side, while Allura attacked from the front. She threw her whip forward as Haggar dealt with the other two, grabbed her around the waist, and pulled. She didn’t move. She was stronger than she looked, apparently. Allura gritted her teeth, and pulled her whip back. 

Pidge shouted as she was thrown against the opposite wall by a ball of vibrant purple energy. Shiro grunted as Haggar gripped his arm, preventing him from escaping. Allura glanced at her companions, sweat on her brow. She raised her whip again and launched it at Haggar’s legs, hoping to get her off balance. 

Haggar disappeared. 

Shiro’s eyes widened, and he gasped. 

“Allura, behind you!” 

Allura turned around just as the blow came. In an instant she was slammed against the other wall by Haggar’s attack.

Pain was the only thing she could register for the next few ticks. She groaned as she rose from the floor, standing shakily. Her vision focused and she saw Pidge launching her bayard at the woman. Shiro swung, aiming for her torso. She disappeared in a blur again, only to reappear a few feet away. She aimed a blast at Shiro’s head. But his back was turned. Allura gasped and raised her whip. 

“Shiro!” 

She rammed into Haggar, shoving her aside so she only struck the wall. Allura panted as she rose from a crouch, giving Shiro a victorious smile. 

“Enough,” Haggar said. Allura’s stomach dropped as Haggar raised her hands. Darkness spread from her fingers, and though Allura shouted for her companions, soon she couldn’t even see them as everything went black. 

“Shiro! Pidge!” She called. No answer. She called for them over and over, but her world remained silent. Cold fear spread throughout her body, making her hands shake. She had to be strong. But she’d never faced anything like this before. All she’d wanted was the real Shiro, her Shiro. The one she loved.

Her breath echoed in her ears. She tried to ignore her trembling. All she could see was darkness. Her gaze darted all around, but she couldn’t even tell up from down, much less see Shiro or Pidge. How was she supposed to find them? 

“You’re out of your depth, Voltron.” Haggar’s voice came through the void. “Agree to give me Lotor or I will show no mercy.” 

She called this mercy? And what should Allura say? She couldn’t give Lotor over without his consent. But that wasn’t the problem here. 

The problem here was saving Shiro. 

Allura was beginning to feel that slip through her fingers like sand. This rescue was botched, at best. Were Lance and Hunk safe? Would they all live through this? If anyone was hurt, she knew she’d be responsible. And now she, Shiro, and Pidge were all at the mercy of Haggar, the very witch who’d experimented on her paladin. Allura’s limbs felt weak, and she blinked away tears. This mission was a failure. 

Without warning the darkness vanished, a purple light blinding her. Shiro’s hand? She blinked and saw Shiro through the blur. But as she opened her eyes, her jaw dropped. It wasn’t Shiro at all. 

It was his clone. 

He held the black bayard, in the form of a long purple sword, to Haggar’s throat. Allura risked a look at Shiro, and she almost laughed in the midst of her fear. His face was slack, eyes wide as dinner plates. He looked from the clone to her, and to Pidge, as if they could give him answers. Pidge shrugged. Allura gave him a sheepish grin. 

Their attention was pulled back to the fight when the clone spoke. 

“I was just a replacement,” he said, voice harsh. “But I’m giving them the real thing back. You won’t stop them.” 

Haggar disappeared and reappeared in the middle of them, her hands gathered in fists. 

“You think you can rebel. How foolish of you.” She raised a hand and the clone’s eyes turned yellow. Allura gasped. “You’re mine, Kuron.” So that was his name. Allura whipped out her bayard. She couldn’t let Kuron die at the hands of Haggar, even if he was Shiro’s clone. He was a living being, part of this universe, the universe she had vowed to protect. And she wasn’t about to forget her duty. 

“You won’t take him.” She snarled. She lowered herself into a fighting stance, ready to attack. So she froze in shock when Kuron shoved his hand in front of her. 

“No,” he said, voice thick. “Don’t.” 

“Shir—Kuron! You won’t push me away. Not like this.” Behind him, Shiro and Pidge moved to attack Haggar, holding her back from them. Allura sent them her silent thanks. She had to knock some sense into Kuron. 

“Let me do this, please,” he said. 

“No.” 

“Why not?” 

“I’m not going to let you die.” Her eyes filled with tears. It would be like watching Shiro die. She couldn’t take that. 

“Don’t stop me. Let me do this for you.” 

“Why?” She shouted. 

“Because it’s what he would do!” He yelled, pointing at Shiro. “He’d want you to live to fight another day. Can’t you see that?” 

Her throat tightened, and she glared into his eyes. Why did he have to make this so hard? 

“So what’s your choice?” He asked. “They need backup.” He gestured to Shiro and Pidge. “Let’s make this quick—“ 

She closed his mouth with her own. The kiss didn’t last long, and yet it felt like an eternity. His lips were warm and soft, pliable in his brief surrender to her. There were so many things she wanted to tell him. She wanted to shout at him for the hurt he’d caused, wanted to kiss him for the way he made her feel. But those kisses belonged to Shiro. All of this belonged to him, not the clone she was kissing. And yet how could she let go?

But she did. She broke the kiss, the look that passed between them speaking all the words they couldn’t say. 

“Go,” she said. He nodded in thanks and turned, launching himself into battle. “Shiro, Pidge! Let’s go!” She called. They looked up at her in protest, but her firm gaze silenced any complaints. Kuron shouted, 

“Shiro!” 

He looked up in shock as the black bayard was tossed into his hands. Allura looked at Kuron one more time, smiling. Thank you, she wanted to say. Then they took off down the hall.


	6. Required Conversations

In moments they were back at the entrance she and Pidge had made. Pidge went back into green, leaving her and Shiro in Blue. The first few moments after they entered the lion were the most awkward seconds of silence she’d ever endured. She kept sneaking looks at Shiro, but he avoided her gaze each time. Finally she cleared her throat and said, 

“What is it, Shiro?” Her tone was a little more snarky than she intended, but she pursed her lips and met his eyes. 

“Nothing…um…nothing, Princess.” He looked at the floor. 

“So we’re back to princess now,” she said, heaving a sigh. She shook her head. 

“Look, A-Allura, I’m sorry, it’s just—“ 

“No, you don’t have to.” She held up a hand. “It’s fine.” Her throat began to ache with the beginnings of tears. “Don’t worry about it. I’m just glad you’re safe.” 

A hand touched her shoulder. 

“Allura.” 

She looked up. 

“What is it?” 

“I was going to ask you what was wrong, actually,” he said, rubbing his neck with a hand. “I didn’t want you to avoid me.” 

She had to smile at the irony. 

“Me avoiding you? Shiro, you’ve been silent the whole time here. Is it because I kissed him…you?” 

He shrugged. “Maybe. A little, yeah. That was weird. I was jealous of myself.” He smiled, and there was something achingly sad in his eyes that made her pause. “But there’s more.”

“Oh.” She met his eyes. “You can tell me, you know.” 

“Okay. I’ll try.” He put a hand to his eyes. Allura’s lips parted, and she put her hand on his. 

“Shiro, you don’t have to.” 

He shrugged. “No, I kind of want you to hear this.” He sighed, his breath shaking, something she’d never heard from him before. “I wasn’t conscious the whole time I was there. They did things to me, I remember that. But when I had control of myself I thought so much about Voltron. Were you guys okay, what were you doing, were you okay without me.” He chuckled, though there was no humor in it. “I even wondered if you were having food goo fights without me. But as much as I thought about everyone, Pri-Allura, I…I thought about you.” 

Her fingers curled around his, but she stayed silent. 

“Really?” 

“Yes.” 

The word carried so much weight, his voice shaking, that neither of them said anything for several moments. His throat bobbed as he swallowed. “I thought about you.” He closed his eyes as if the next words were hard to say. “I thought about your eyes. And how your smile made me happy. And how you were always there for me. I wanted to be there for you. And I wasn’t.” 

“Shiro, it wasn’t your fault—“ 

“I love you.” 

The words stopped her breath. Stopped her heart. She stared at him as he kept her gaze, holding her so she couldn’t look away. With a shaking hand, she reached out and put the lion on what the paladins called ‘autopilot’. She took her hands off the controls and lifted her helmet from her head. She smiled and rose to face him. His eyes were unsure, and his mouth was fixed in a thin line. This was hard for him, she realized. He was expecting rejection. 

But before she told him what she had to, she had to get something off her chest first. 

“Shiro, you weren’t the only one worrying. While you were gone. But the thing is, you weren’t gone. You were there. And you and I…he and I…fought.” She looked down. “We’d start shouting at each other over battle plans, bases to take, planets to save. And I thought that was you, and I thought—“ Her breath caught. “I thought you hated me. It broke my heart.” 

She felt Shiro’s arms wrap her in an embrace and she closed her eyes to drink in the warmth. This was something she hadn’t felt in the longest time; the simple joy of being held by someone. She nestled her head into his shoulder, placing her hands against his chest. “Thank you.” She whispered. 

“That Shiro…whoever that was, that wasn’t me. I don’t hate you, Allura. I couldn’t if I tried,” he said, his voice a warm rumble in her ears and against her palms. She smiled, heat spreading through her all the way down to her toes. Finally, after a moment she took a breath and said, 

“I love you.” 

It was remarkable how quickly Shiro tensed. She removed her hands from his chest and wrapped her arms around his neck, leaning back to look into his wide eyes. 

“Really?” He said, mouth quirking up into a half-smile. She wanted to bottle that smile. She hadn’t seen it in so long. 

“Really.” She leaned her forehead against his, growing a little so she could match his height. He chuckled. 

“I almost forgot you could do that.” 

She grinned. Their eyes met, and she drank in the sudden intimacy in his gaze. She licked her lips, and his smile widened. After what felt like too long, he leaned in and kissed her. 

She thought first kisses were supposed to be chaste. Light. 

This was anything but. 

Their lips crashed together, and Allura pushed all of her longing, all of her anguish at fighting with him into the kiss. She felt all the thoughts he’d had of her in the press of his lips. Spare bits of sanity spent thinking about an alien princess. Wondering if she would ever love him. The kiss turned open-mouthed and frantic, as if they could make up for all the lost time with just one kiss. His hands reached up and undid her bun, letting her hair fall down her back as he dug his fingers into it. She gnawed at his bottom lip and drank in the taste of him, the taste of—

“Twenty bucks says they’re kissing right now.” 

Quiznak. Allura had completely forgotten about the comms. She yelped as she separated from Shiro, and shouted, 

“Pidge! Have you been listening the whole time?” 

“See, I told you not to talk. It’s better to just listen to the moment.” Hunk’s voice came through. 

“Have you all been listening?” Shiro asked, grimacing. 

“No…” 

“Lance.” 

“Sorry! Okay, maybe we have, but we were all waiting for this, dude.” They could practically hear the grin in his voice. 

“They’re like the perfect couple!” Pidge said. 

“Thank you, Pidge.” 

Hunk sighed. “Do you want us to cut off your comms till you get back?” 

“Please,” Allura said, smiling. She and Shiro heard a small click, and they both sighed. “Well that was embarrassing.” 

“Yeah,” Shiro said. “But it’s okay, I think.” 

“Of course. I’ve got you,” she said, leaning her head into his neck. “You’re safe now.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much to everyone who read this fic, it means a lot. Although this is in no way canon (lol) I hope you still enjoy it. Thanks again!


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